Physics Capstone ProjectCopyright (c) 2015 Utah State University All rights reserved.http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject
Recent documents in Physics Capstone Projecten-usFri, 15 May 2015 01:41:48 PDT3600Physics Education: Analysis of the Effects of i>clicker Usage in the Gen Ed Classroom on Content Learninghttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/27
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/27Wed, 13 May 2015 13:32:42 PDT
The modern classroom has a wide variety of tools and technology available as aids to assist in students’ content area learning. One of these tools which has gained increased popularity recently is the i>clicker, a remote device that allows students to answer questions posed by lecturers through media presentations such as PowerPoint. Lecturers are able to record and display the answers selected by the students in class, providing real-time feedback to students on material lectured on in class.

The goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the i>clicker device as an aid in content learning in a general education physics course. We sought to do this by analyzing the collective results of students answering content-related i>clicker questions in class correctly and comparing these results to the collective performance of students on an exam that contained a number of questions that were identical and related to those i>clicker questions asked during class, as well as a number of questions that were explicitly unassociated with i>clicker questions asked during class in the weeks preceding the exam. This represents Phase I of the research. In Phase II, we hoped to identify whether there were other identifiable factors within the structure of the exam itself that could skew the results of the analysis from Phase I.

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Collin MortensenAnalysis of Electrostatic Breakdown Siteshttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/26
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/26Wed, 13 May 2015 13:32:40 PDT
Materials potentially suitable for spacecraft construction were exposed to electrostatic discharge in the USU Materials Physics Group lab, with hopes of identifying samples that possess greater resistance to breakdown. Breakdown shape and size may be important to determining material suitability for spacecraft construction. The discharge damage sites of tested samples were examined, measured and logged into a matrix file for data analysis. Once logged, data were sorted within the matrix and compared graphically to identify trends. Several interesting discoveries were made. LDPE sample breakdown sites are significantly larger than Kapton varieties. We were unable to link increased energy inputs to larger areal sample damage. Breakdown in all sample types were elliptical in nature rather than near circular. Cryogenic test samples are more eccentric than room temperature tests, in both materials. Potential relationship values were briefly examined as a result of these findings in an attempt to explain processes of breakdown.
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Sam HansenPT401 Paint Process Development and Infrared Reflectance Measurementshttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/25
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/25Wed, 13 May 2015 11:43:59 PDT
Z302 became less obtainable when the manufacturer required expensive massive drums of the black specular paint as the minimum order. As they no longer accommodate customers with pint-sized needs, companies, such as the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), are searching for a replacement. PT401 has been used on previous projects with satisfactory results. In accordance to requirements from NIST, a process for painting with PT401 8-10mils thick will be developed, and adherence, durability and specular reflectance and diffuse properties in the infrared will be documented.
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Sariah CassidySuitability of Nickel Chromium Wire Cutters as Deployable Release Mechanisms on CubeSats in Low Earth Orbithttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/24
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/24Wed, 13 May 2015 11:43:57 PDT
This paper investigates the suitability of a nickel chromium wire cutter (NCWC) for use on the GASPACS (Get Away Special Passive Attitude Control Satellite) Mission. It is intended that when activated the NCWC will cut through a restraining wire and thereby release the stored energy of the deployable AeroBoom. Flight worthiness is based on favorable performance during functional testing to address known issues with the NCWC, such as wire burn through and cutting issues. In-depth testing discussed in this paper includes: Manufacturability of the NCWC, including analysis of possible acceptable performance errors induced from inefficiencies in the assembly process, functional testing of a prototype NCWC under flight conditions, and analyzing the safety margin between the flight running conditions and the point of failure (destructive testing). The results from these tests support the conclusion that the current design of the NCWC will successfully support the GASPACS mission in deploying its AeroBoom Experiment.
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James GardnierCatching Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over Bear Lake, Utahhttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/23
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/23Wed, 13 May 2015 11:43:55 PDT
The Utah State Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) is a high resolution CCD imager capable of remote sensing faint optical emissions from the night sky to determine mesospheric temperature and its variability at an altitude of ~87 km (or 50 miles). The MTM was operated at the Bear Lake Observatory (BLO) for a two year period (Jan 2012 – Dec 2013) to investigate the seasonal characteristics of temperature variability at mid-latitudes.

This study was to be done from March 2013 – April 2014 but due to issues with the data in late 2013 it was changed to January 2013 - December 2013. But when looking at the variance plot for 2013 it was noticed that because of the issues in the second half of 2013 a good understanding of the variance could not be obtained. Thus the project was changed again to look at January 2013 – December 2013. Then the reduced variance would be compared to a similar camera operation USU has in Chile to determine if we see similar strong winter-summer variance. The original goal of this study was to calculate the nightly temperature variance from OH and O2. Unfortunately the nothing conclusive came from the O2 temperatures.

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Kelly OsborneImaging the Brigham City Fault Segment Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography Techniqueshttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/22
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/22Thu, 30 Apr 2015 14:56:02 PDT
Geologic faults are a result of rock structures that have given away to tectonic compression, extension, or lateral tension. Because of a fault’s propensity to slip and cause earthquakes, they are of major concern to any populated area near by. The Wasatch Fault is a result of extensional stress that runs the entire length of Utah from north the south. It has been analyzed and broken up into several segments. By stratigraphic analysis, scientists have been able to estimate when each of these segments has last experienced a rupture. Out of all the segments that make up the Wasatch Fault, the Brigham City segment has not experienced movement for the longest period of time. Scientists have estimated that this segment will be the next segment to slip and cause an earthquake.This fault segment is of great interest to the surrounding scientific population. It is the goal of this experiment to successfully image the fault using Electrical Resistivity Tomography.
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Alex BarkerLangmuir Probes in a Microwave Generated Plasmahttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/21
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/21Thu, 30 Apr 2015 08:23:21 PDT
In this work, we considered a microwave generated plasma, in a toroidal device. In this set up, we tend to meet the conditions for several known plasma instabilities. Not all the gas in the chamber was ionized. Using a Langmuir probe we were able to determine the population temperature and the plasma density in the chamber. The existence of a plasma was determined by measuring the strength of reflected microwaves. We varied the fill pressure in the chamber, as well as the strength of an externally imposed magnetic field. From this, we determined that the plasma temperature decreased with an increased fill pressure. Plasma density however, appears largely unaffected by the fill pressure. Imposing any external magnetic field causes the temperature to drop, though beyond this, the field strength does not appear to influence the temperature. For certain magnetic field strengths tested, the plasma density increased. Further work needs to be done on how temperature and density vary with distance from the chamber wall.
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Wesley RawlinsThe potential of educational video gameshttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/20
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/20Wed, 29 Apr 2015 07:46:12 PDTPhillip Hunt et al.Thermal Evidence of Flat­slab Subduction Perturbations in the Western UShttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/19
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/19Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:16:09 PDT
The Laramide Orogeny, a late Cretaceous mountain building event in the western United States, 1,2,3 has been postulated to result from flat­slab style subduction of the Farallon plate . Possible consequences of flat­slab style subduction on elevation, tectonism and volcanism associated with expected changes in temperature and hydration state of the mantle in the western U.S. has x1 been of considerable interest. However, the impact of flat­slab subduction on modern mantle temperature, water and tectonic stability remains poorly­understood. Here we show that thermal perturbation by Farallon flat slab subduction is still evident today in Moho temperatures of the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions of the U.S. Measurements of temperature in the 4 uppermost mantle from tomographic P­wave velocity imagesare compared to models of surface heat flow measurements assuming steady­state lithospheric thermal transfer and reasonable rock thermal properties. Misfit between modeled and measured Moho temperature indicates a violation of the modeling assumptions, likely dominated by transient perturbations on timescales less than the ~100 Myr required for a conductive thermal pulse to traverse the lithosphere. Misfit is dominated by anomalously low measurements in regions deformed by thick­skin tectonism during the Laramide, suggesting the temperature discrepancy may reflect thermal perturbation by Farallon flat­slab subduction. Shallow subducted slab would serve both to chill the base of the lithosphere and insulate it from deeper convective heating. The measurements indicate perturbation of mantle lithospheric temperature to distances of more than 1800 km from the modern plate boundary, where Laramide­style tectonism was weakly expressed. These results may have significant implications for history, evolution and stability of 5 continental lithosphere within EarthScope’s USArray footprint.
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Michael BerryCentrality Measures of Graphs utilizing Continuous Walks in Hilbert Spacehttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/18
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/18Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:09:40 PDT
Centrality is most commonly thought of as a measure in which we assign a ranking of the vertices from most important to least important. The importance of a vertex is relative to the underlying process being carried out on the network. This is why there is a diverse amount of centrality measures addressing many such processes. We propose a measure that assigns a ranking in which interference is a property of the underlying process being carried out on the network.
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Jarod P. Benowitz et al.Statistical Variation of Diverse Light Emission Measurements from Bisphenol/Amine Epoxy Under Energetic Electron Bombardmenthttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/17
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/17Mon, 26 Jan 2015 07:28:03 PST
Dielectric materials subjected to energetic electron fluxes can emit light in several forms. We have observed three distinct types of emissions: (i) short-duration (<1 ms), high-intensity electrostatic discharge (ESD) or “arc” events; (ii) intermediate-duration, high-intensity events which begin with a bright arc followed by an exponential decay of intensity (~10 to 100 s decay constant), termed “flares”; and (iii) long-duration, low-intensity emission, or cathodoluminescence, that continues as long as the electron flux is on. These events were studied for bulk samples of bisphenol/amine epoxy, using an electron gun with varying current densities (0.3 to 5 nA/cm2) and energies (12 to 40 keV) in a high vacuum chamber. Light emitted from the samples was measured with a high-sensitivity visible to near-infrared video camera. Results of the spatial and temporal extent for each type of event are presented as well as a discussion of how absolute spectral radiance and rates for each type of event are dependent on incident electron current density, energy, and power density and on material type, temperature, and thickness. Applications of this research to spacecraft charging and light emissions are discussed.
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Justin ChristensenCarbon Nanotube Sensors and Field Emittershttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/16
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/16Thu, 18 Dec 2014 10:17:01 PST
Carbon nanotube (CNT) forests are arrays of free-standing CNTs, as seen in Fig. 1a. The goal of this project was to deposit 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) evenly on each CNT. The motivation is that CNTs cannot effectively participate in chemical reactions by themselves. However, DAN can bind to the CNT surface in such a way that it can participate in chemical reactions while staying on the CNT side wall1. If DAN could be coated evenly on the CNTs throughout the forest, it could make a very sensitive biological sensor. A sensor is only as good as the number of detection sites, and the large surface area in a CNT forest provides ample opportunity for many detection sites. Initially, we tried immersing CNT forests (of about 50 μm height) in solutions of DAN, but it was found that the CNT forest deformed so much that there was little CNT surface to which DAN could bind.
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Ben PoundNeutral Density Behavior from 45-90 km Based on Rayleigh Lidar Observations above USUhttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/15
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/15Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:47:26 PST
There are over 900 nights of observations taken by the Rayleigh lidar above Utah State University from 1993 to 2004. The data have been reduced to give absolute temperatures and relative densities in the mesosphere, from 45-90 km (Herron, 2004, 2007). From the 11 years of relative density data an 11-year climatology of mesospheric densities above Logan, Utah has been created. From this climatology I have been able to normalize the 11 years of density data to the following models: the MSISe00 empirical model, the CPC (Climate Prediction Center) reanalysis model, the ERA Interim reanalysis model, and the NASA MERRA reanalysis model. The USU relative density climatology is normalized to the models to show how the models behave when they are extended beyond their upper altitude range. The MSIS empirical model has an extensive altitude and goes far beyond 45 km but was chosen due to its extensive use in the scientific community. The reanalysis models CPC and ERA Interim are near their upper bounds around 48 km, while the MERRA reanalysis model extends slightly higher to 65 km. By interpolation I was able to find their values at 45 km and then normalize the data to their values at 45 km where I am able to find their behavior as are propagated through observed data.
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David BartonImproved Measurements in Conductivity for Highly Disorganized Resistive Materialshttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/14
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/14Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:29:20 PDT
Determining the electrical properties of highly insulating materials can be a challenging task. These materials are designed to greatly resist the flow of electrical current. This makes them useful for various applications including terrestrial transmission lines, spacecraft charging, and capacitor-driven charge storage devices. Every year over 370 billion kWhr are lost during transportation along power lines in the US. That is roughly $36B which is thrown away each year due to inefficiency in our power transmission network (1). Due to the fact that satellites are isolated from ground, charging caused by the plasma environment found at typical orbital radii (2) is of concern to the designers of modern spacecraft (3).

In an effort to measure extremely low currents and low conductivity, the Utah State University Materials Physics Group has designed a Constant Voltage Chamber (CVC) capable of measuring conductivity with a low degree of uncertainty. Over the last nine years, many changes have been made to improve the accuracy and precision of measurements made with the CVC, now allowing currents as low as hundreds of atto-amps to be measured (3, 4, 5,6). Through the use of a variety of data analysis programs, numerous studies of the conductivity, current, and temperature have been done with detailed error analysis. Statistical analysis has been performed for the data collected and the instrumentation error for the system has been determined (7). These data have allowed for analysis of the different aspects of current, and allowed for better measurements to be made. Using these measurements we have been able to create a model for the rate of change for the different aspects of current involved with a highly resistive material.

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Phil LundgrenComputational Modeling of Doped Helium Clustershttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/13
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/13Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:53:58 PDTRyan CarlsonRainich geometrization of real massless scalar fieldshttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/12
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/12Wed, 28 May 2014 08:09:21 PDT
Rainich geometrization is the process of eliminating the source from Einstein's field equations and thus expressing the equations solely with geometric quantities. This report briefly covers the theory, due to Kuchar, involved in the Rainich geometrization of a real massless scalar field with no cosmological constant. The theory contains the conditions which the Ricci tensor must satisfy such that the spacetime permits the scalar field and also explains the method used to reconstruct the field. Two procedures are written which automate this process and they are used extensively through the rest of the paper to both verify existing solutions, such as Fisher's (alternatively, the JNW solution) and Xanthopoulos', and to compute other solutions from generic spacetimes.
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Dionisios KrongosCreating Hertzprung-Russel Diagrams Of Open Clustershttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/11
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/11Mon, 19 May 2014 09:55:22 PDT
This research project is meant to set up Utah State University’s 20 inch diameter telescope and use imaging techniques to do research science with stellar clusters. Using known information taken from stellar catalogues, open clusters will be selected to image. From the im- age, absolute magnitudes or luminocities will be collected from each star in the cluster using imaging software. We will then compare these to their spectral types, or tem- peratures, to create Hertzprung-Russell diagrams of the open clusters. A Hertzprung-Russell (H-R) diagram is a scatter plot of luminocity vs spectral type for stars. The following report will explain target selection of open clusters, imaging methods, and calculations used to cre- ate H-R diagrams of open clusters.
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Margaret JensenConstructing a Flat Field for Scientific Astronomical Imaginghttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/10
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/10Wed, 14 May 2014 10:01:19 PDT
There are consistent problems that occur during the process of capturing astronomical images which cause defects to be present on the raw image captured. Some of these problems include vignetting, dust on the lens or the digital sensor’s surface, and dead or less sensitive pixels. This is a problem when the images are meant to be used in photometry, where the brightness of each pixel is taken into account. One can simply clean all surfaces of dust, but it will always come back. A more solid solution is to use a calibration frame called a “flat field” to correct each image before processing it. This “flat field” is created by pointing a telescope at an area characterized by uniform luminosity and color— white is preferred— then capturing an image. The only things visible in these calibration images will be the anomalies previously mentioned, and that’s the flat field: a portrait of the dust and shadows seen by the camera. After the astronomical image is captured, the flat fields are averaged and then divided out of the astronomical image. All that is left then is what was captured from the cosmos, rather than what was on the lens or sensor. The purpose of this project is to create a flat field box that could be used to calibrate the 20-inch telescope in USU’s observatory. This box will be fitted with two panels of translucent opal plexiglass and a panel of evenly spaced miniature incandescent light bulbs. The bulbs will illuminate the acrylic sheets from behind and the telescope will have a view of a uniform “flat field.” This calibration instrument will allow the telescope to be used for photometric purposes and other areas of astronomy.
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Catharine BunnGASPACS Structure: Designing to Survivehttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/9
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/9Tue, 13 May 2014 13:05:26 PDT
The USU Get Away Special (GAS) Team is creating a self-­‐stabilizing CubeSat through the utilization of a deploying boom and panel combination. Commercially available CubeSat frame cannot accommodate any deployable panels and have no space to fit a packed boom. Therefore a custom frame needed to be designed from the ground up to meet the mission needs while still conforming to the designated specifications produced by Cal Poly. The frame needs to be a 10 cm cube, hold together during liftoff, and not melt the avionics boards within the satellite. Several models were designed and tested through the use of computer programs. First, SolidWorks® was used to develop a solid model. Then, the geometry was imported into FEMAP® where the vibrational characteristics were tested. No 3 erroneous behavior was observed, thus clearing the model for the last test. The last test was the thermal behavior of the satellite. The geometry was loaded into COMSOL® and tested to see if it reached too high of temperatures. The hottest the boards ever reached was 62 degrees Celsius, which is within their survivable range (Wertz, 2011). The frame numerically clears all requirements and the physical prototyping and testing can proceed.
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John EllisAnalyzing Solutions to the Einstein Equations Using Differential Geometryhttp://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/8
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/phys_capstoneproject/8Tue, 13 May 2014 11:59:45 PDTJordan Rozum